We believe that these creeds and confessions faithfully and clearly capture the essential teaching of the Bible. They do not capture everything that the Bible teaches, nor do they state things in the best possible way. However, they are essential aids that help us articulate our faith. Our creeds and confessions are subordinate to the Bible. Their purpose is to summarize the most basic teaching of Scripture.

The Canons of Dort (1619) express our beliefs about the nature of man, God, and salvation. This teaching is summarized with the F.A.I.T.H. acronym explained below:

Fallen humanity
We are completely unable to please God through our own efforts. Although we may not be as bad as we possibly can be, we are never good enough to be acceptable to God because of the sinful state into which we are born.

Adopted by God
We cannot do anything to merit our salvation. We are chosen by God according to His will and not according to anything we do or do not do. We do not receive salvation on our own merits but based on the fact that Jesus has already been punished for our sins, thus satisfying God’s justice and restoring our fellowship with God.

Intentional AtonementNot all people are called to be saved, but only God’s elect. God is free to choose whomever He wishes, and He does not choose some.

Transformed by the Holy Spirit
Those whom God chooses will not be able to resist the call of God. It is impossible for a member of the elect to reject God.

Held by God
Once saved, always saved. It is impossible for a member of the elect to lose his or her salvation.

Our congregation belongs to the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). Together we agree that people are born into a sinful state in which it is impossible to please God or obtain salvation independently of God’s gift of grace, which He gave us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God sent His Son to live, die and be raised to remove the barrier of sin between us and God. Jesus was punished for our sins, because He never committed any. Because He was sinless, His death has atoning value for all who believe. Because He was raised from the dead, those who believe in Him need not fear death.